Foot covering portions of wearing apparel



y 29, 1969 w. w. ARTZT 3,457,566

FOOT COVERING PORTIONS OF WEARING APPAREL Filed May 1, 1967 INVENTOR WILLIAM WALTER ARTZT AT TORNE Y United States Patent U.S. Cl. 2-239 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A foot covering portion of childrens pajamas or other wearing apparel is formed from a sector-shaped blank and has a seamless bottom part with the knitted wales extending longitudinally therein and a straight toe directed transversely to the wales, a tapering section extend ing rearwardly from the toe above the bottom part and triangular sections directed inwardly above the bottom part from the sides of the latter, adjacent edges of the tapering and triangular sections being joined at top seams converging rearwardly from the corners of the toe so as to be on the bias with respect to the wales.

This invention relates to improvements in the foot covering portions of wearing apparel, such as, childrens pajamas, leotards, tights and the like.

It has been proposed, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 2,919,445, issued Jan. 5, 1960, to William Walter Artzt and Eugene Roth, to provide wearing apparel of the described character with foot covering portions formed from a sheet of knitted fabric and each having a central bottom seam with forwardly diverging or branched continuations of the central bottom seam extending from the forward end of the latter and terminating at corners of a generally square toe. The purpose of such arrangement of the seams in the foot covering portion is to ensure that wales of the knitted fabric extending generally parallel to the central bottom seam will be on the bias relative to the forwardly diverging continuations of that seam to resist runs at the locations of maximum stress in the toe. The box-like or square toe of the described foot covering portion affords the desired comfort to an infant wearer only when the latter is prone or lying down. However, when the infant becomes ambulatory, that is, begins to creep, stand and walk, the central seam and its forwardly diverging continuations in the bottom of each foot covering portion present rather bulky ridges which press into the sole of the wearers foot and cause considerable discomfort.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide wearing apparel of the described character with foot covering portions formed of sheet knitted fabric and each having a box-like or square toe defined by means which are on the bias with respect to wales of the knitted fabric and which are remote from the bottom of the foot covering portion to avoid discomfort to the wearer when in a standing or upright position.

Another object is to provide foot covering portions having the above characteristics which are more easily stitched or seamed, and which, when cut from sheet knitted fabric along with the remainder of the Wearing apparel or garment, make possible a saving in the amount of fabric required therefor.

In accordance with an aspect of this invention each foot covering portion includes a seamless bottom part having the wales of the knitted fabric directed longitudinally therein and a sustantially straight toe extending laterally with respect to the wales, a tapering section extending from the toe of the bottom part and being directed rearwardly above the latter, and generally 'ice triangular sections integrally joined, at their bases, to the opposite sides of the bottom part and directed inwardly toward each other above the bottom part, the side edges of the rearwardly directed tapering sections and adjacent edges of the inwardly directed triangular sections being joined together at rearwardly converging seams extending from the corners of the toe and which are on the bias with respect to the wales of the knitted fabric.

In a preferred method of producing a foot covering portion in accordance with the invention, there is cut from a sheet of knitted fabric a generally sector-shaped blank having its axis of symmetry extending parallel to the wales of the fabric, whereupon the relatively narrow end portion of the blank is folded back about a fold line that is transverse to the wales and the flanks of the remaining relatively wide portion of the blank are folded inwardly about fold lines generally parallel to the wales to bring edges of the folded flanks into substantially edgeabutting relation to the side edges of the folded end portion, and such abutting edges are suitably stitched together.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent in the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank of sheet knitted fabric from which a foot covering portion of wearing apparel may be formed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a foot covering portion formed from the blank of FIG. 1 at an intermediate stage in its production;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the completed foot covering portion; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the foot covering portion of FIG. 3 attached to the leg of an article of wearing apparel.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIG. 1 thereof, it will be seen that a blank 10 for forming a foot covering portion according to this invention may be generally sector-shaped so as to have side edges 12 and 14- that converge toward one end edge 16 of the blank. The blank 10 is preferably cut from a sheet knitted fabric so as to have its axis of symmetry 18 extending parallel to the direction of the wales of the fabric as indicated by the arrows 20. The relatively narrow end edge 16 of blank 10 preferably has a concave curvature, whereas the opposite or relatively wide end edge of the blank may have a convex curvature at its central section 22a and a concave curvature at each of its opposite terminal sections 22b, as shown. In any case, the configuration of the blank is such that the distance between the end edges at the axis of symmetry 18 is at least as large as, and preferably larger than the distance between such end edges measured along the side edges 12 and 14.

In forming a foot covering portion from the described blank 10, the relatively narrow end portion 24 of the blank is folded back about a fold line 26 that is transverse to the direction of the wales and that bisects side edges 12 and 14 so that end portion 24 overlies the central part 28 of the relatively wide end portion of the blank and has its end edge 16 spaced from the central section 22a of the wide end edge of the blank, as shown on FIG. 2. Further, the generally triangular flanks 30' and 32 of the relatively wide portion of the blank are folded inwardly toward each other about fold lines 34 and 36, respectively, which extend from the opposite ends of fold line 26 substantially parallel to the direction of the wales, whereby folded flanks 30 and 32 overlie central part 28 at opposite sides of folded end portion 24. Upon such folding of the blank, the section of side edge 12 extending along fiank 30 is brought into edge-abutting relation to the equi-length section of the same edge 12 extending along end portion 24, and similarly the section of side edge 14 extending along flank 32 is brought into edge-abutting relation to the equi-length section of the same side edge 14 extending along end portion 24. Such equi-length, abutting edge sections are then secured together, as by stitching, to form seams 38 and 40 (FIG. 2) which converge rearwardly from corners of the straight or square toe defined by fold line 26, and thus are on the bias with respect to the wales of the knitted fabric. It will further be apparent that, after the described folding and stitching of the blank, terminal sections 22b of the wide end edge of the blank are in end-to-end alignment with small end edge 16 and form smooth continuations of the latter to define, with central section 22a of the wide end edge, a generally oval edge at an upwardly directed opening 42 for the resulting foot covering portion 44.

Such foot covering portion 44 is seen to include a seamless bottom part constituted by part 28 of the blank in which the wales extend longitudinally and having a substantially straight or square toe extending transversely of the wales, and a top and side parts which are integral with the bottom part and defined by the tapering portion or section 24 extending from the toe and by the generally triangular sections 30 and 32 joined to section 24 by the rearwardly converging seams 38 and 40.

If it is desired to further shape foot covering portion 44, tucks or darts can be formed in the top part thereof, for example, by folding sections 30 and 32 outwardly about fold lines 46 and 48 diverging rearwardly from the front ends of seams 38 and 40 (FIG. 2) and folding inwardly about the seams so that fold lines 46 and 48 substantially meet at the edge of opening 42, as shown on FIG. 3. The tucks or darts thus formed in the top of foot covering portion 44 can be retained, as by stitching 50 (FIG. 3) extending along the front of opening 42 for the extent of the tucks or darts.

The foot covering portion 44 formed as described above can be simply joined to the lower end of a leg 52 (FIG. 4) of childrens pajamas or the like by a stitched seam 54 extending along the edge of opening 42. Since the foot covering portion 44 has a seamless bottom part, comfort to the wearer is ensured when in a standing or upright position. Further, where tucks or darts are formed in the top part of the foot covering portion, such darts hide the seams 38 and 40 and impart an attractive appearance to the foot covering portion in addition to shaping the same by narrowing the ankle and heel portions thereof.

In the embodiment of the invention described above, the entire foot covering portion has been formed from a one-piece blank 10. However, if desired, the end portion 24 of such blank could be cut separately from the remainder thereof, and then seamed to the central part 28, as along the line 56 on FIG. 1. Such modified blank cut in two parts will result in a foot covering portion having a seam extending across the straight or square toe thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A foot covering portion for wearing apparel comprising a seamless bottom part having a substantially straight toe extending laterally across its front end, a tapering section extending from said toe and being directed rearwardly therefrom above said bottom part with the opposite side edges of said section converging rearwardly, generally triangular sections integrally joined at their bases, to opposite sides of said bottom part and being directed inwardly toward each other above said bottom part, said triangular sections having edges which extend along, and are in abutting relation to said rearwardly converging opposite side edges of said tapering section, and seams joining the abutting edges, said bottom part and said sections being of a knitted fabric having wales directed longitudinally in said bottom part and said tapering section so that said seams are on the bias with respect to said wales.

2. A foot covering portion according to claim 1, in which said tapering section is also integral with said bottom part.

3. A foot covering portion for wearing apparel comprising a seamless bottom part having a substantially straight toe extending laterally across its front end, a tapering section extending from said toe and being directed rearwardly therefrom above said bottom part, generally triangular sections integrally joined, at their bases, to opposite sides of said bottom part and being directed inwardly toward each other above said bottom part, said triangular sections having edges which extend along, and are in abutting relation to the opposite side edges of said tapering section, and seams joining the abutting edges, said triangular sections further having edges thereof contiguous to the back edge of said bottom part remote from said toe and cooperating with said back edge to define an upwardly directed opening at which the foot covering portion is adapted to be connected to the leg of an article of wearing apparel.

4. A foot covering portion according to claim 3, further having inwardly directed darts in said triangular sections extending along said seams and increasing in width from said corners of the toe to said opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,265,089 12/ 1941 Turbin. 2,552,802 5/1951 Martin 369 2,628,438 2/1953 Luchs 369 XR 2,630,636 3/1953 Cockrell 369 XR 2,735,195 2/1956 Eaton. 2,764,823 10/ 1956 Struble et a1.

JAMES R. BOLER, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 369 

